Lucy and Liam Explore Empathy

Lucy & Liam Explore Empathy Meet best friends, Lucy and Liam: "Being Autistic is another thing they have in common, but that doesn't mean they are exactly the same. Autism is different for each Autistic person, even though they have a common mind-frame." The Singular Stars Series is designed to: 1. Positively Conceptualise Autistic Traits - as a Star! Autistic people, like stars, are all different. Each Autistic person might have some traits that are hyper, like Liam with empathy: he has lots of it. But we might have other traits that are hypo, where we don't feel or do things as much as others. When you put all of these different traits into a picture, it looks unique and spiky - like a star! The easily-understandable visual of a star means that this book is a great tool both for helping Autistic children to feel empowered, and for non-Autistic children to foster their understanding and appreciation of their Autistic peers. 2. Challenge Stereotypes and Foster Understanding There is a common misperception that Autistic individuals do not experience empathy. In this installation of the Series, we see one of our characters, Lucy, does experience hypo-empathy. But her best friend Liam? He's hyper-empathetic! Our readers get a glimpse into what is going on inside each child's brain and body when they are navigating tricky situations, creating real understanding of these different experiences. We include a set of Comprehension and Self-Reflection Questions at the end of the book, to help guide conversations with your own child. 3. Explain Concepts Throughout the book, we use neurodiversity-affirming language that is child-friendly. Stunning illustrations expand on the text, so that the book is interesting and accessible to all ages and learning styles. There might be a few words or ideas in the story that are new for your child, so we also include a child-friendly explanation of key concepts at the end of the book.